It was one of the less well kept secrets in sailing, but yesterday it was confirmed that – fresh from their biggest success in the event in 90 years – Britain will again compete in the next America’s Cup. As the victorious Emirates Team New Zealand team began their media rounds, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Shoebridge confirmed that a challenge had been accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. “We’ve accepted a Challenge this afternoon but we’ll leave that for a separate announcement,” he said initially. However, shortly afterwards INEOS Britannia skipper and team boss Ben Ainslie confirmed that the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes had indeed challenged for the 38th America’s Cup, and their Challenge had been accepted. The British are now Challenger of Record for the second consecutive event. “Yeah, well, the Royal Yacht Squadron have signed up again to be the Challenger of Record for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron,” he told the waiting press. “We had a great partnership through this last Cup. I think you saw with the Protocol – such a progressive protocol this time around, particularly with the Women’s America’s Cup. “And there’s so much more we can do with the event. I think this has been a huge success, but there’s so much more potential in the America’s Cup. So it’s on us now to work with the Kiwis and try and help them as a Defender to promote that.” Host venue for the 38th America’s Cup? As ever, due to the unique structure of the America’s Cup, there are now many questions about what the event’s future might look like. While the decision makers are all in Barcelona, the question of host venue is among the most pressing. The Spanish city created a genuine spectacle for the final of the America’s Cup, with phenomenal crowds – including a truly impressive number of black shirted Emirates Team New Zealand supporters – lining Port Vell, a fleet of superyachts racked half a dozen deep and sparking sunshine yesterday setting up an event finale that will last long in the memory. As a location, Barcelona also delivered handsomely with the team bases set around the port alongside comprehensive superyacht infrastructure (plus Palma is just a short hop away). Onshore, multiple event villages – all free to enter – generated a real sporting atmosphere, and the Mediterranean climate and ‘promenade’ tradition guaranteed good footfall. Though there were also protests at the event’s presence in the city, part of a wider discontent with Barcelona’s very high tourism numbers. The acknowledged major negative of Barcelona as a venue – primarily the light, unpredictable winds at the close of season, combined with a challenging sea state – proved to be not as much of a problem as anticipated. The AC75 rule changes, which were designed to ensure the boats could foil in lighter breezes, meant that we saw far fewer races decided by boats crawling along in painful displacement mode than in AC36. For much of … Continue reading British confirmed as Challenger of Record for 38th America’s Cup: but what next for the Cup?